by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
At 82 percent in favor of the idea, Daily Record readers who responded to last week’s question of the week both in-person and on-line were on track with accepting a new trend that is changing how employers view the best way to manage their human resources.
At the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) Annual Conference & Exposition held this year, a study was presented that revealed companies are increasingly offering employees flexible schedules to help workers cope with rising gasoline prices. Among businesses responding to the survey, 26 percent reported offering flexible schedules. The report concluded, “Far from short-term solutions, this is the beginning of a revolution that will change the way companies do business.”
Two sectors of business that have been particularly eager to change from the traditional to the compressed work week are government and education.
This summer, municipalities all over the country began eliminating the traditional Monday-Friday, five days to make 40 hours work week in favor of a four-day schedule. While it’s too early to have gathered much hard data on the ultimate effects of the change, the consensus is working four 10-hour days can allow workers to be just as productive while saving money and energy.
Last month, Utah put in place a required four-day work week for its 17,000 state employees.
Brevard Community College has campuses in Cocoa Beach, Titusville, Melbourne and Palm Bay. Last summer, classroom buildings were closed on Fridays and lights and air-conditioning units were turned off, saving the school more than $250,000 in utilities costs. The money saved was used to hire more teachers and human resources managers noted a reduction in sick pay and employee turnover that was attributed to the shorter work week.
Birmingham, Ala. switched to the four 10-hour day schedule July 1 and the mayor’s office estimated the first month’s fuel cost savings at more than $73,000.
The Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution in July to study the feasibility of establishing a pilot project to provide a more flexible schedule for County workers including a four-day, 10 hours-a-day work week and telecommuting. In that survey, 75 percent of employees said they would favor a 4-day, 10-hour schedule.
Beginning Monday, the City of Gainesville will make the change to a four-day work week in an effort to save money in light of $2 million in budget shortfalls this year. City officials estimate the savings in electricity costs will be about $90,000 a year plus fuel cost savings since City vehicles will be on the road one day less per week. Gainesville’s city offices will be open from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. four days a week.
“We have a few of our people already on the four-day schedule and so far it has worked well,” said City of Jacksonville Comptroller and Chief of the Accounting Division Kevin Stork. “We still have to cover the five-day week, so we’re scheduling those people to make sure the work is covered. Some have Mondays off, some have Wednesdays off and some have Fridays off. From an employer standpoint, as long as the work is covered, it works out well.”
Stork also said the feedback from the employees involved in the four-day plan is also positive.
“One person said they’re glad to be able to save 20 percent on gasoline — and also save money by not eating out at lunch one day a week,” he said.
As it turns out, the mechanism to offer the City’s workforce an option for flexible schedules already exists.
“Most of the City of Jacksonville’s union contracts contemplate the ability to have a four-day, 10 hours-a-day schedule. Most of our civilian contracts also include the option,” said Chad Poppell, chief of the City’s Human Resources Department.
Poppell added while some departments would be more likely to institute the shorter work week, Public Works or clerical departments for example, the shorter week might not work for every employee.
“I’m sure some people might have child care issues,” he said.
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Photo by Max Marbut